MPL MY Season 16 will be the last season to follow the legacy format before shifting to a franchise format.
It’s official, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Malaysia (MPL MY) will officially shift to a franchise model after Season 16. This means the upcoming season will be the last time the region will follow the legacy format.
MOONTON Games Malaysia esports lead, Fikri Rizal Mahruddin, already hinted at this transition back in April 2025. With that said, MPL Malaysia will soon join other franchise leagues, such as those in the Philippines and Indonesia. This also means that a development league may be in the works for the region once it adopts the franchise format.
Blue-chip partnerships signal confidence in Malaysia's MLBB esports scene
MPL MY makes its franchise league debut next year with partnerships from various brands. The announcement comes amid the record-breaking growth of MLBB esports in Malaysia. According to Esports Charts, MPL Malaysia is one of the most consistent events to be among the world’s most-watched esports leagues. Last year, the event had a peak viewership of 870,000.
To fuel this next phase, MPL Malaysia has partnered with a stellar line-up of blue-chip brands across telco, technology, lifestyle, and FMCG sectors:
- CelcomDigi joins as the Official League Presenter from Season 16 to 18. This is the first time a national telco giant has sponsored an esports league.
- Infinix extends its support until Season 18, with the Infinix GT 30 Pro named the Official Gaming Smartphone.
- Yamaha enters esports for the first time as Official Motorcycle Partner for Seasons 16 and 17, marking its global debut in competitive gaming.
- Grab Malaysia steps in as the Official Food Delivery Partner, bringing its GrabFood For One service closer to fans.
- Fairrie returns as Official Rewards Partner.
- 100PLUS continues as the Official Isotonic Drink Partner.
- CeraVe and Playaz join as Strategic Partners for Season 16.
These partnerships reflect how MPL Malaysia has grown from a competitive gaming league into a cultural and entertainment powerhouse that attracts household brands.
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MPL Malaysia Season 16: What to expect
The Regular Season of MPL MY Season 16 is set for a grand kickoff on Sept. 13, 2025. The tournament will be hosted in Sri Putra Hall in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur. The country’s best 10 MLBB teams will battle it out in a single round robin best-of-three format, which will last until Oct. 19, 2025.
Participating Teams
Here is a list of all the teams competing in the upcoming event:
- Selangor Red Giants OG Esports (SRG)
- Homebois (HB)
- Untitled (UNT)
- AERO Esports (AERO)
- Team Vamos (VMS)
- Monster Vicious (MV)
- Todak (TDK)
- Team Rey (TR)
- CG Esports (CG)
- GamesMY Kelantan (GMXK)
Tickets and where to watch
If you want to watch the event live, tickets are available on the official website of MPL Malaysia. Keep in mind that tickets are sold per match.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for more esports news and MLBB coverage.
